Curling broom



United States Patent() CURLING RooM remand Marchessault, 2131 sf. catherine sf. n.,

' Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Feb. 18, 1957, SerQNo. 640,676`

6 Claims. (Cl. 15-160) This invention relates to brooms and has particular reference to a' broom asagame implement or auxiliary for use 4in playing on ice, the game of curling. This broom is thus preferably termed a curling broom, the betterto distinguish `it from -such brooms as are used `for cleansing floors -and the like. i

lOneimportantobject of this invention is to provide y a novel construction of broom better adapted for use in the game of curling than -the-oor brooms commonly ,used i A second important object of this invention is to provide a broom of great flexibility and pliability for electively sweeping the ice chips ahead of the moving stones in the game of curling, from one part of the rink to another.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel broom head formed of fibers so distributed in length that iibers in the upper part of the head will eiectively support the remainder of the iibers and also protect and lengthen the life of an additional cord binding disposed nearer the free or sweeping end of the broom.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a novel and highly eiiective distribution of the binding means used to form and maintain the shape of such a broom head.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of -a broom having a head formed of iibers distributed and bound together as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly claimed.

In the drawings like chanacters of reference indicate like parts in the several views; and

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a face view of the novel broom head and'a portion of the broom stati or handle to which it is attached;

Figure 2 is another elevation, partly in section;

Figure 3 is a detail edge View of part of the broom head, the view being partly in section, the better to disclose certain features of the fiber binding arrangement; and

Figure 4 is an edge view of the invention as it appears when used on ice.

The head on this broom is formed of fibers derived from such plants as Tampico, pifassava, sisal or the like, or synthetic ibers may be used. In any case the speciiic nature or origin of the fibers Z, does not particularly enter into this invention, it being merely necessary that the iibers should be relatively simple, waterproof and properly flexible.

The head is 'formed by two bundles of the fibers used, formed into two groups, a long center bunch or group 9, and a relatively short outer bunch 10. These bers are secured in conventional manner to the staff 1. The tbers of vbunch 9 are bound byV a wire binding (not shown) while fibers 10 cover the last named wire Abinding and are secured slightly higher on the stati 1 by wire binding 3. The bers of bunch 10 surrounding the group 2,983,939 Patented May 16, 1961 'ice and forming a skirt surrounding the upper part of the central bunch 9. Over the top portions of the bers 10 and extending above the binding 3, there is lfitted a hollow lfrustoconical metal cap `4, which is secured in place by av wire binding 5. Cap 4 can be replaced by any other conventionalmeans for covering and protecting the upper ends of the libers.

Below the binding 3, the broom head is surrounded by a wire binding 6, which forces the iibers compactly together. This binding can be attached if desired to the stati 1 by a wire 6. Below the binding 6 there is provided a double binding `8 of cord as extending around the iibers 2 and connecting opposite points of the binding 8 are cross-stitches y8 extending through the iiber bunches. Spaced below the binding 8 is a binding 7 which surrounds the outer skirt and has opposite points connected by stitches 7 passing through the tfiber bunches. Spaced below binding 7 is a double binding 11 which binds only inner bunch 9 slightly above the lower end of skirt 10 and at approximately mid-distance of central bunch 9. The bindings 7 and 8 are connected by vertical flexible gties 14, extending parallel to the fibers. Binding 11 is lsomewhat 'loosely sewn -around the bers of central :bunch 9. To avoid slipping of binding 11 out ofY saidl bers, *binding 11 is connected `to the main body orhead of the broom by ties or strings 12 which are attached to binding 7.

The bindings `6, 7 and v8 are preferably covered by a sleeve 15, on which may be printed the name of a curling club or other desired matter.

This broom is issued in the game of curling, in which a rink is formed on a sheet of ice having a straight line scored across it at one end and a tee mark at its other end. Commonly the game is played between two teams, ordinarily of four persons each. Each player is provided with two stones, and players from the two teams alternately step up to the score and deliver their stones toward the tee. Each stone consists of a very oblate spheroidal mass form having a small flat spot on its under side and an L-shaped handle projecting. The player takes the handle, swings the stone rearwardly and then forwardly, placing the stone on the ice at the end of the forward movement. Each player is also provided with a broom. The players of a seam which is delivering its stones, other than the one at the score, take positions with their brooms in hand along the path of movement of the stones, one player of the team being chosen as Skip. After a short use of the rink, a small amount of ice chips are formed by the passage of the stones and may tend to slow the speed at which the stone is travelling. If the skip sees that the speed is not sufiicient for it to reach the tee, he gives the order sweep it up and the broom wielders immediately sweep across the path to remove all ice chips and leave a smooth and unobstructed path.

Although a specilic embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A broom for use in the game of curling comprising a head and a stafI to which the head is attached, said head being formed of long libers, closely spaced bindings extending around said liibers, an additional flexible binding loosely surrounding and loosely stitched through said ibers and slidable relative to said fibers and spaced from said first named bindings a dist-ance about half way between the sweeping end of the broom and said closely spaced bindings, and iiexible ties having one end connected to said additional binding and having their other end iixed with respect to said rst named bindings in order to prevent slipping of said additional binding of't` said fibers.

2. A broom for use in the game of curling comprising a head and a stai to which the head is attached, said head being formed of a central bunch, and an outer bunch of fibers, substantially closely spaced bindings extending around the two bunches of fibers, and an additional binding surrounding only the central bunch of bers and covered by the fibers of the outer bunch, said additional binding being spaced from said rst named bindings a distance about half way between said rst named bindings and the sweeping ends of said fibers.

3. A broom as claimed in claim 2, further including flexible ties attached to said additional binding at one end and having their other end fixed with respect to said first named bindings in order to prevent slipping off of said additional binding.

4. A broom as claimed in claim 2, wherein said outer bunch is constituted by bers shorter than the fibers of the central bunch whereby said outer bunch forms a skirt surrounding the upper part of the central bunch, said additional binding being disposed underneath and covered by the free end portions of the fibers of the outer bunch.

5. A broom for use in the game of curling comprising a head and a staff to which the head is attached, said head being formed of a central bunch of relatively long fibers and an outer bunch of shorter bers forming a skirt surrounding the upper part of the central bunch, closely spaced cord bindings extending around the two bunches of fibers, and an additional cord binding surrounding only said central bunch of bers and covered by the free end portions of the bers of the outer bunch, said additional cord binding being spaced from said rst named cord bindings a vdistance`about half way between said rrst named cord bindings and the sweeping ends of said fibers.

6. A broom as claimed in claim 5, wherein exible ties are connected to the additional cord at one end and have their other end fixed with respect to said first named cord bindings in order to prevent slipping off of said additional cord binding.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,010 Blunt Mar, 26, 1872 147,182 Shipman Feb. 3, 1874 2127,139 Wagner May 4, 1880 418,941 Butenschon Ian. 7, 1890 1,115,255 Struve Oct. 27, 1914 1,761,101 Blood .Tune 3, 1930 2,073,558 Linder Mar. 9, 1937 2,511,235 Arwood June 13, 1950 2,849,140 Pauker Sept. 2, 1958 

